Opening the Doors

In May, my colleague Mac Moreau and I travelled across England and Wales on an educational journey, meeting with church leaders and exploring innovative approaches to stewardship, ministry, the use of church buildings and community engagement. Among the many ideas we encountered, one simple but compelling idea stayed with us: Doors Open.

The concept is remarkably straightforward. What might happen if our parish churches were open more often – not simply for worship or scheduled events, but during the week as places of prayer, reflection, hospitality and welcome?

In the Church of England, this question emerged partly from a practical reality. Many churches had gradually become locked outside worship because of concerns about vandalism, insurance, theft and declining volunteer capacity. But church leaders began to ask whether a locked church might unintentionally communicate something quite different from what the Church intends to proclaim: that faith is private, guarded or inaccessible.

Theologically, the question is even more significant. The parish church is not simply a building for those who attend on Sunday. It is a visible sign of God’s presence in the community and exists for the whole parish – believers and doubters, the faithful and the curious, the grieving and the lonely.

Jesus says, “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away” (John 6:37). There is something wonderfully Anglican about taking those words literally.

An open church offers something that a Sunday service cannot always provide. Someone who would never think of walking into a worship service may nevertheless enter a quiet church to sit, pray, or simply collect their thoughts. A person carrying grief may find a place of peace. A tourist may discover the beauty and history of a sacred space. Someone who has drifted away from the Church may encounter a reminder that the Church is still there.

During our travels, we saw examples of churches that had embraced this approach in different ways. Volunteers welcomed visitors, prayer stations provided opportunities for reflection, and church buildings became places where people could pause amid the demands of everyday life. At St. Michael-le-Belfrey parish in York, the parish (near York Minster) intentionally expanded its weekday opening hours and hospitality ministry, discovering that many visitors who initially entered as tourists later returned for worship, joined Alpha courses, requested prayer or sought pastoral support.

At St. Digain’s Church in Llangernyw, North Wales, visitors walking the Pilgrim’s Way often stop to admire the architecture of this 13th-century church. They can use the facilities, enjoy a complimentary drink and, quite often, leave a donation using the church’s tap-to-give technology.

Of course, “Doors Open” does not mean opening the doors without thought. Concerns about security, safeguarding, insurance and volunteer capacity are real. The experience in England and Wales suggests, however, that openness and responsible stewardship need not be opposites. Churches have developed practical measures – including volunteer stewards, appropriate security systems, risk assessments, and the careful safeguarding of valuables –to make greater accessibility possible.

So, what might this mean for the Diocese of Toronto?

Perhaps we should begin modestly. Rather than expecting every parish to adopt the same model, we could consider a pilot involving a small number of urban, suburban and rural churches. Each could explore what opening its doors during the week might look like in its own community.

The goal would not simply be to have unlocked buildings. The goal would be to ask a more important question: How can our churches become more visibly present in the everyday lives of the communities we serve?

We often speak about the Church needing to reach out to the community. Sometimes the first step is simply to open the door.

In an age when many people experience loneliness, uncertainty, grief and spiritual searching, there is something powerful about knowing that there is a church nearby where one can enter, sit quietly, pray and know that one is welcome.

An open church says something without requiring a visitor to say anything at all: You are welcome here. There is a place for you. God is here.

The experience of our brothers and sisters in England and Wales has given us something worth considering. In some of our communities, the next expression of Christian mission may begin not with a new program or initiative, but with something much simpler – the turning of a key, the opening of a door and the willingness to welcome whoever walks through it.